Learn how to gain influence over your prospects’ decisions by mastering important elements of persuasion.
What is selling? Selling is the simple act of persuasion. Contrary to popular belief, persuasion is not manipulation. The formula for success in sales can be described quite simply: Person A exposes an idea to Person B. The two discuss the logic, merit and reasons why B should believe what A asserts. If B is persuaded, the deal is made. The persuasion here refers to a number of factors.
When making a final decision, B considers many things: is A credible, is the idea logical, will the idea bring me personal benefits and do I want to do it? A master in the selling game does not leave B’s answers to any of these questions to chance. In your quest to persuade with power, you must gain control over B’s perception of all of these factors. When you shape B’s answer to each of these questions, you exert true influence in your sales presentation.
Take the following example: Terry has a presentation in which he will sell a new IT system to a large company. He wants to add to the sale his networking and maintenance services in a long term contract. When he presents the complex IT system, very little persuasion is needed, the company has already acknowledged their need to update technology. However, when Terry presents his services as a long term attachment to the new system, interest wanes.
Not wanting to appear pushy or aggressive, Terry’s pitch for his service contract is watered down. He leaves it to only a few comments that imply the importance of what he offers, hoping the customer will intuitively understand. He talks briefly about what he would do during the set up process and how he would perform regular maintenance checks but leaves it at that. Predictably, the company buys the IT system but declines to sign any long term service contracts. How could Terry have changed this?
Leaving anything for customers to intuitively understand is a dangerous gamble. After assessing the situation, they may come to the point of view that causes them to spend money with you but, if you have done nothing to influence this outcome, they may just as easily come to the opposite conclusion. When planting the seeds for interest in your product or service, be specific, illustrative, and clear about what you want your prospect to do.
Action Step: Consider the four questions below. Make sure that your presentation directly addresses these questions and gives your prospects reasons why the answer to all is “yes.”
In Terry’s example, he was so pleased that he would make the system sale that he became too timid to go after the service contract. His presentation should have been peppered with information about the set up and regular maintenance process in order to position his services as invaluable. Since he left it up to his prospects to decide, he left it up to chance.
Should you wish to increase your income, exceed your quota, feed your family and reach your goals, you cannot afford to leave important elements of the sale to chance. Seek to exert great influence over your prospects’ decisions. Do this by explaining clearly what you what them to do, why you think they should do it, how you know it will help them, and why it is such a good idea. When you gain the power to influence your prospects’ decisions you become a master in the selling game.
© 2007 Alvin Day
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